MOTORISTS traveling to and fro parts of Eastern Pangasinan and adjacent provinces of Nueva Ecija and Nueva Vizcaya can soon shorten their travel time via the newly-constructed 5-kilometer diversion in Rosales town.

Public Works and Highways Secretary Mark Villar was in Pangasinan last week to check the progress of the work on the Carmen East-West Diversion Road connected to the Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union Expressway (TPLEX).

He said travel time from towns of Rosales, Balungao and Umingan to Cuyapo, Guimba, Muñoz, San Jose, and Lupao in Nueva Ecija will be reduced.

The P519.94-M road project covered the construction of box culvert as drainage, slope protection structures, the 38-meter Palakipak Overpass Bridge across TPLEX, and the 38-meter Udiao Bridge.

Villar said the new diversion road is one of the priority projects of the “Build, Build, Build” program in the Ilocos Region to boost economic activities in Rosales, and its neighboring towns.

He added that the ongoing construction of Villa Verde road in Nueva Vizcaya and the San Fernando Bypass Road in La Union is nearing its completion.  (Jerick Pasiliao)